Garage door operator



May 11, v1943. 5, KARNS 2,319,136

GARAGE DOOR OPERATOR Filed Au 7, 1940 s Sheets-Sheet 1 fr/Vvf/vrok. Sherman S karns May 11, 1943. s. s. KARNS 2,319,136

GARAGE DOOR OPERATOR Filed Aug. 7, 1940 :s Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Sherman 5 Karrzs May 11, 1943. KANs 2,319,136

' GARAGE DOOR OPERATOR Filed Aug. 7.1940 s Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR. Sherman J. lfarns A m -Ey.

Patented May 11, 1943 GARAGE DOOR OPERATOR Sherman S. Karns, San Luis Obispo, Califi, as-

signor f one-fifth to Louis Rosenberg, San

Luis Obispo, Calif.

Application August 7, 1940, Serial No. 351,745

4 Claims.

a garage door operator as described, having improved locking and safety features.

An additional object is to provide a garage dOor operator which may be controlled from a point within the reach of the motor vehicle driver without necessitating his leaving the drivers seat.

Other objects and advantages will appear and be brought out more fully in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein I Fig. 1 is an elevation view showing a garage door and doorway and the actuating mechanism comprising my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View, in section, showing parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged elevation view, in section, of parts also shown inFigs. l, 2, and 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view as seen from the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line t-s of Fi 4.

Fig. T is an elevation view of the door in open position.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectionalview of the holding mechanism, also seen in Fig. 4.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken along the lineof 99 of Fi 7.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line Illl0 of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional View taken along the line lI-ll of Fig. 9, and

Fig. 12 is a view showing an optional spring control.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, I show a garage having a front wall l5 and doorway I6, and a door l'l having brackets l8 and 19 secured to a base plate 20 having a bearing flange 21 secured to a side wall 22 of the garage building. Similar brackets and bearings are secured to the door and opposite sidewall of the building structure for the pivotal opening of the dog 34 against ratchet 33.

door overhead in the well known manner. A plurality of pipes 23, 24, 25, 26 and 24a are secured together as shown and to wall l5 adjacent doorway l6. Pipes 23 and 26 are connected to an elbow 21 .in which may be located a suitable lock 28 for a control rod 29 which extends through sections of pipe 23 and to which is connected an operating lever or handle 39.

, A tension spring 31 is secured to a suitable fixture 320. on wall 22 and to the end of a cam member 32 secured to bracket l8 as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 7. An arcuate ratchet member 33 is secured to brackets l8 and I9 and a locking dog or plunger 34 for engagement therewith'is reciprocably' mounted in a cylinder 35 secured to wall 22 and containing a spring 36 for biasing Dog 34 is provided with a lug 31 which extends through a slot 38 in cylinder 35, and a crank arm 38 is secured to :the end of rod '29 and has a finger 39 adapted for engagement with lug 31 so as to retract dog 34 when rod 29is turned by handle 39. A flange 40 is'mounted on the inner side of wall l5 and provides a pivot mounting for a weighted member 4! which has an arcuate surface 42 adjacent an extensionmember 43 secured to door I1, member 43 having an arcuate abutment surface 44 adapted for engagement with surface 42 to lock the door until released by the movement of weighted member 4| by a finger 45 on a crank 46 secured to rod 29. A cam member 41 is mounted on a shaft 48, a suitable bearing 49for the shaft being provided on wall 22. :Cam member 41 is provided with grooved cam suriacesill and 5|, and a cable 52 is connected to bracket I9 and a suitable lug 53 at the end of cam surface 56. A lug 54 at the end of cam surface 5| secures one end of cable 55, the other end of "which is secured to a tension spring 56 in pipe 24, suitable upper and lower guide rollers. 51 being provided at the end of pipe 24 where a certain amount of flexing of cable 55 will occur. The other end of spring 56 is connected to the end of a rod 58, the latter having an enlarged diametrical portion 59, and a cable 60 is secured to the other end of rod 58 and to the upper end of a lever arm 6|, a suitable slot 62 being provided in the lower portion of pipe 240. for the end of arm 6| and. cable 60. Arm 6| is provided with a pivot 62 and a cam arm 63 is secured to pivot 62. A pair of plates 64 and 65 are pivoted at 66 and 61, respectively, and are positioned in the driveway so as to be run over by the wheel of a motor vehicle. The end of rod portion 59 forms a radial abutment surface 68 for engagement with a bifurcated portion 69 of a lever arm 10 pivoted at H in the X-fitting joining pipes 24, 24a, and 25. A link 13 is pivoted at 14 to arm 10 and pivoted at 15 to a crank 16 pivoted at T! in a T-fitting 18 which connects pipes 23 and 25. A spring 19 is mounted on pivot i1 and connected between fitting l8 and crank 16 so as to normally turn the crank to the right as seen in Fig. 4, and hold link .13 and lever arm 70 in the position shown in Fig. 4 and lock rod portion 59 in engagement with bifurcated portion 69.

A collar 89 is secured to ro'd'29 and isprovided with a finger 800. which is adapted to engage a cam surfaced finger 8! of a collar 8la loose on rod 29. ment 82 formed in a notch in crank '16 so as to lock crank 16 and link 13 and lever arm '10 in the-position of Fig.4 until it is-d'esired toactuate "the same as will be more fullyapparenthereinafter. A collar 83 issecured on shaft 23 and is provided with a cam surface 84 which engages crank 16 when rod 2-9 is turned, and turns crank Hover'the'dead-center-of pivot '11, whereupon link'l'3 will be'pulled down by the pivoting of arm 10 as rod section 59 moves to the right. In Fig. '12 *I show an optional feature providing a dash pot-operation for the door. The inter-connection of spring 56 and cable 55 is a piston85. Fluid-sealed collars 86 and 81 are "provided in pipe 24 for cable '55 and rod section :58, and a pipe 88 having an adjustable needle valve 89 is connectedto two :points of pipe 24 between collars B6 and 8 7. Pipes 24 and 88 are :fllled with oil or other'fluidsand movement .of :pis- :ton "85 will be regulated :by the flow :of the .oil

and .controlledby valve 89.

The operation of theinvention should be clear from the foregoing description. .Door 1''! will be actuated to the open position by spring 3| and will be actuated'to the closed position byspring .56 which will be stronger than spring 3!. Spring 56 is loaded or'put under tension by the movement of arm 6! when actuated bycam arm 63 when the motor vehicle wheel passes over plates 64 and 65. This action moves rod section .59 to the left and permits spring 19 to turn crank .16 which lifts link 13 and turns lever arm 10 which .locks rod section 59 since finger 8| drops behind abutment 82 on crank 16. Assume the door is openand held -.by.engagement .of .dog 34 and ratchet 33. Lever 301s turned to theleft .or rearwardly as seen in'Fig. '1, and this action will cause crank arm38 to engagelug3'l and re- .lease dog '34 from ratchet .33, and spring 56 which .is now loaded will pull the door down and load spring 3|. Inspection of cams 32,50 and 5| will :showthat the maximum force will at all timesbe applied becauseof the shifting :position of the cables from pivot center 48 and the pointo'f attachment of cam32 on bracket [8. During this initial movement when thetension of spring .56 .is maximum the distance from cable 55 topivot axis 48 is minimum, andthe distance of cable 52 thereto'is maximum. Also the lever arm ofcam '32 is maximum during the initial portion of said Finger 8! is adaptedtoengage an abutmovement, and minimum at the latter portion when spring tension 56 is minimum.

The door is opened by a turning handle 30 to the right or forwardly as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, and this movement rocks crank 16 over and releases rod section 59 from bifurcated portion 68 of arm 10 and releases spring 56 from tension, and-spring 3| which hasibeenload'ed as described, now raises door I! and draws spring 56 to the right in pipe 24. The movement of handle 30 to \the right as just mentioned, causes crank 46 to swing weight 41 away from extension member 43 which has previously locked the door in closed position, and permits it to be now raised.

Having described my invention what I claim is:

1. Door actuating mechanism as described comprising spring means adapted to open said door, spring means adapted to close said door and energize said first spring means, means adapted to be actuated by the movement of a .motor vehicle to energize .said second spring means, locking means for said second spring means when in energized condition, locking means for said .door in open and .closed position, and manually actuated control means adapted to release said door locking means whereby said second spring means will close said door, said control means adapted .to release said second spring means and said doorlocking means whereby said first spring means willopen said door.

'2. Door actuating means .as described comprising a pivoted bracket for the door. a door opening spring connected to said bracket, a door closing spring, a double surface cam, a cable connected between said bracket and one of the cam surfaces, a cable connected to said second spring and the other surface of said cam, motor vehicle actuated means to energize said second spring, and locking and control means for said second spring.

3. Door actuating mechanism as described 7 comprising a pivoted bracket for the door, a cam secured to said bracket, a door opening spring having an end passing over said cam and connected thereto, a door closing spring, a double surface cam, a cable connected to said second spring and to a surface of said second cam, a cable connected to said bracket'and to the other surface ;of.said second-cam, a lever connected to said door .closing spring, means adapted to be actuated by a motor vehicle wheel and connected to said lever to energize said second spring, and locking and control means for said second spring and said bracket.

1 4. Door actuating mechanism as described comprising a pivoted bracket for the door, a door -opening spring connected to said bracket, a door closing spring connected to said bracket, -a lever connected to said second spring, a motor vehicle wheel actuated plate adapted *to actuate .said lever whereby to energize said spring, and locking and control means for said bracket and second spring, said means including a rotatable rod, a toggle link positioned between said rod and .said second spring, anda cam on said rod adapted to actuate said toggle link.

SHERMAN S. KARNS. 

